Chapter 3

As the Silver Moon Pack's most skilled healer, he was usually cold and quiet. His own wolf spirit was weak, and every time he performed a healing ritual, it cost him a great deal of vitality.

Yet this time, he had sacrificed his own life-force to drag me back from the brink of death.

Seeing my eyes flutter open, a flash of relief crossed his face, though it was instantly masked by cold indifference.

"You're awake? Staging these childish, clumsy stunts just to seek attention makes you completely inferior to Victoria."

"To prevent you from disturbing Victoria again, I have driven bone-locking spikes into your limbs to suppress your strength. Without my permission, you won't be able to move an inch."

An agonizing pain surged through my arms and legs. In the next second, I lost even the strength to curl my fingertips.

I could neither live nor die.

Hot tears fell silently. I let out a low, bitter laugh. "Why... why do you strip me of control over my own body over and over again without my permission?"

Aidan's expression darkened instantly, his tone icy. "Because you've tried to harm Victoria time and time again. You are a pathological liar, and you don't deserve a shred of trust!"

How absurd.

When I was first born, the three of them had cradled me in my swaddling clothes and sworn an oath before the Moon Goddess. They promised that in this lifetime, they would cherish and trust only me as their little sister.

Yet those resounding vows had now shriveled into a single phrase: "don't deserve a shred of trust."

Chris, who was recovering from his own injuries nearby, slowly opened his eyes. Seeing how red my eyes were, he hesitated for a brief moment before reaching over to pat the top of my head.

"Vivian, we are doing this for your own good. We spoiled and indulged you too much when you were a child, which made you this willful."

"Breaking your stubborn pride will keep you from dragging Victoria down, and it will ensure you lead a stable life in the future."

Before he could finish his sentence, the door was violently kicked open.

Evan burst into the room, holding a deathly pale Victoria in his arms. His eyes were bloodshot as he glared at me.

"Vivian! How can you be so vicious?!"

"First, you deliberately self-harmed to grab our attention, and then you forced Victoria to sneak into the forbidden grounds to harvest spiritual herbs for you!"

Hearing this, Chris and Aidan snapped their heads toward me, their faces turning livid instantly.

The corners of my dry lips twitched.

I had been locked away in the snake pit during that entire time, fighting for my life. How could I have possibly forced anyone to do anything?

"System," I called out silently in my mind, "remove all the bone-locking spikes from my body at the cost of my own lifespan."

In an instant, the bone-locking spikes binding my limbs dissolved without a sound.

At the same moment, Victoria slowly opened her eyes in Evan's arms. She immediately put on a tearful face.

"Brothers... please don't blame her... She was just desperate to heal her wounds, which is why she begged me to go into the forbidden grounds to pick the blood berries for her..."

But a loud, stinging slap abruptly cut off her entire performance.

Victoria clutched her burning cheek, staring at me in utter disbelief.

My three brothers instantly erupted in fury.

"You are pure evil!" Evan shoved me violently to the floor. "Victoria was kind enough to make excuses for you, yet you dare harm her right in front of us?!"

"From this moment on, I will lock you in the cellar for the rest of your life as punishment!"

I slowly lowered my head and let out a quiet laugh. "There's no need to go to all that trouble."

Under their bewildered stares, I swiftly pulled out a silver dagger I had hidden away.

Without a single shred of hesitation, I plunged the freezing, gleaming tip straight into my own heart.

Warm blood erupted fiercely, staining my clothes crimson.

All the strength drained from my body, and I fell straight backward.

Their panicked, heartbroken screams instantly exploded in my ears.

But I simply closed my eyes.

I thought to myself, "System, now, I can finally go back to my real brother..."